#4thTP::: Five Months Postpartum

I thought I was done being "postpartum" at three months. Nope, I'll do two more updates. Now, those women who say "I'm eleven months postpartum!!" irk me just a little. That's a little much, but I believe I can stop being postpartum by month six. Two more updates won't kill anyone, right?!

Pounds gained in pregnancy: 29

Pounds lost since delivery: ???

To go: ???

I no longer have a goal weight; happy and healthy is the goal. If I focus too much on numbers, old habits creep back in (keep reading). If I weigh two hundred pounds my entire life, then I'll make every last one of the healthiest I possibly can, and I'll be happy because I'll know I'm doing my best.

Did I just reveal numbers? Maybe. If I can't be honest with y'all, then there's absolutely no point in my blogging. 

     I don't know what I weigh right now, and I'm loving it. I gained a little around Valentine's Day (homegirl was not lying about eating all that chocolate), and I freaked out. I felt some old habits coming back, the ones that made me obsessive about my weight and calorie counting, the ones that eventually caused my eating disorder, which I will discuss at length at a later time. I knew I had to ignore what the scale and instead go by how my clothes fit and how I was feeling. I overdid it one day on Valentine's chocolate, but I jumped right back on the clean eating wagon the next day. It's definitely hard for me to not obsess, so that's why I put the scale away for a little while. Am I still progressing? Absolutely! Sometimes being able to do without the scale is progress in itself.

     I am feeling fantastic lately. Lifting weights has seriously become one of my favorite things to do, and I love how strong I feel. Even if it means my weight loss has slowed, I know I'm gaining muscle. I have so much energy and feel amazing in my skin for the first time in my life. I'm not where I want to be, but I am working on it and getting there. I mean no offense to the people who go to the gym just to run on the treadmill or ride a bike, but seriously, I just want to violently shake all the girls who say lifting weights will turn us into manly-looking she-males. AHHHH!!!! (screaming in frustration)

Progress Photos

Do you really think I look like a man?? I still have boobs and a big butt, but I have better defined arms and-- okay, we're getting somewhere with the legs! I do not look like a man! I look like a woman who could probably kick your ass if I tried hard enough (depending on who you are, that may be a challenge).

NSV

I have ONE non-scale victory, and it's this: being able to wear a tank top with leggings and not feel sloppy :)

Happy & healthy is the goal.

It really is, and I'm getting there. I will weigh again soon, and the number won't make or break me. Being and feeling healthy means so much more than any number ever could. Weight loss is a long, hard, and slow journey, and I'm learning so much about myself along the way. I'm happier now than I've ever been, and no number on the scale could hurt that right now. It's taken me twenty-four years to realize that I am worth fighting for. Thank you for your support and encouragement along the way. You all mean so much to me!

Thirty on Thursday: A Little of Everything

Don't hate me; I did #30onThursday at the gym last week. I had just presented my big presentation for my graduate school class the previous night and was still on a high from its success! I had to get out of the house and get back into my element since I had kind of neglected fitness in the days leading up to my presentation! Even still, this is a workout you can do right at home with a couple of sets of dumbbells! I focused on working my entire body for an "everything day" workout (and then I snuck a few miles in on the treadmill).

You'll need:
a mat (optional)
a set of dumbbells- Since I was at the gym I was able to use three different sets, but anything you have will work! Just squeeze your muscles through every rep to really exhaust them. Adding reps is always an option too!

Warm Up: always, always, always warm up first! No static stretching--jog in place/jump rope, do jumping jacks for two minutes. Just get those muscles nice and warm! Stretch at the end :)

Legs:
30 forward walking weighted lunges (I used two fifteen pounds dumbbells and did these ten at a time).
15 dumbbell squats
10 pulsating squats
Rest one minute and repeat**

Arms & Shoulders:
20 seated or standing military press (10 on each arm; I used 20's for this)
15 narrow grip upright rows (I used 20's)
20 tricep dips or extensions (I used one 20 and did extensions).
20 lateral raises
20 front raises (I used 8's for lateral and front raises)
Rest one minute and repeat**

Chest & Abs:
20 pushups (modified or military style)
10 chest flies (I used 10's)
15 flat back bench press (I used 15's)
25 crunches
25 reverse crunches
40 second plank
Rest one minute and repeat**

Stretch and relax!

     This took me about thirty minutes at the gym, and I'm glad I had the resources there to switch to lower or higher weight if needed. However, if you're at home with a set of five or ten pound dumbbells, this can definitely still work for you! Do higher reps if needed or do some jumping jacks during your resting minute to keep your heart rate up. You don't have to have a gym to have a good workout!

     I also have to include here that I'm not a fitness expert, nor am I qualified as a personal trainer, so keep in mind that these are simply workouts I do at home that I like sharing with y'all. One day I would love to be a certified trainer, but I think I need to take all of these giant aspirations one leap at a time!

Thank you for being such awesome readers and followers! Happy Sweating!!!

Come back tomorrow for a postpartum update!

 

 

Vaught: Five Months Old

Five months old already? Almost half a year since he's been born? It doesn't seem real, and at the same time I feel I've done a great job of savoring in every sweet little moment! God has been so good to us!

 

Weight: 16 pounds, 14 ounces

Length: 26 & 1/4 inches

Month five has been wonderful with Vaught hitting so many milestones! We are so blessed with such a happy, healthy baby boy. Could he be any cuter?!

Food: Vaught still gets the majority of his calories and nutrition from formula; however, he has also begun pushing the bottle away after only four or five ounces, as opposed to his usual eight. He loves all kinds of baby foods and mashed up avocado, licking food off Mommy's finger when I offer him a taste, and he loves eating at the dinner table when we do!

Clothing: He wears size 3-6 month in most onesies, shirts, and pants, and sizes 6-9 sleepers. I've begun buying size 12 month and up when I find good stuff on sale because this boy is growing fast!

Diapers: Vaught still wears a size two, and we love our Comforts for Baby diapers! I have to admit as a mama and smart shopper that I will also purchase almost any brand I have a coupon for. That's every mom though, right? When he finishes up this bag of size two diapers, we're going to move on up to three because he's got a couple of bags of those we got as gifts that we can begin using.

Sleep: He refuses to be rocked to sleep, especially for bedtime. Around eight o'clock, he is put in his crib, and he goes to sleep within a few minutes seconds. He never cries anymore but will babble and drift off. He sleeps 9-12 hours a night. He takes a long morning nap, short early afternoon nap, and long late afternoon nap.

Developments: He's taken a great interest in his toys just in the last couple of weeks. He has begun reaching for things we hold in front of him, such as his rattles and keys (he loves his key toys)! He has found and is obsessed with his feet! He's laughing, babbling, rolling over, and scooting around on his back. He can hold a small bottle to feed himself, and he's got great grip! He knows his name and will look around when someone calls, "Vaught!" He lost a little weight when he was sick and congested a few weeks ago, and I was somewhat concerned that the weight hasn't returned as quickly, but his doctor assured me that it's normal. He also doesn't seem to want to eat as much, but since he's still very active and happy, we're not worried.


Likes:
-Bath time
-His FEET!
-Toys that make noise
-Music and being sung to
-All his other likes from previous months :)

Dislikes:
-the sound of industrial toilets (public restroom toilets) flushing.. And that's about it. There's not much that doesn't interest this boy.

Pictures:

Ya gotta watch sports in this household!

Two minutes after three shots... Clearly, he's a tough guy.

Towards the end of our photoshoot, he became more interested in playing with his month five sticker than wearing it.

And here's to a happy, healthy month six!!

Come back tomorrow for a NEW Thirty on Thursday!

If you've not signed up for the GIVEAWAY go do it right now! Two readers will win a Podee Hands-Free Baby Bottle! Winners will be selected this Monday!

 

 

Podee® Hands-Free Bottle {{GIVEAWAY}}

 

FINALLY, I have had the time to sit down and plan out this GIVEAWAY, my very first one! I'm more excited than you are, trust me!

Vaught is more excited about this GIVEAWAY than he looks, I promise!

We purchased our Podee® Hands-Free Baby Bottle just a few days before Christmas, and it didn't take long for us to reap the benefits of having one of these amazing bottles. We use it with Vaught while we are grocery shopping, eating out, or even just having supper together at home as a family of three. The bottle is extremely easy to assemble, and assuming that baby's sucking reflexes are well-developed, he or she should do just fine with the Hands-Free Baby Bottle.

In addition to being super practical, these bottles have everything moms look for in the bottles we give our babies; they are BPA and lead-free, help reduce gas build-up and colic, great for feeding multiples and traveling, and so much more! Whether you're interested in this product for yourself or as a gift for a friend's baby, you can't go wrong with the Podee® Hands-Free Baby Bottle!

Using our Podee® Hands-Free Baby Bottle while having dinner at Newk's!

Using Rafflecopter, two winners will be selected to receive a Hands-Free Baby Bottle! Once the two winners are selected, I will contact you for your mailing address and will notify you when I have shipped the bottle. Remember that Rafflecopter will select the winners for me; I have no control over it whatsoever. I vow to not be one of those bloggers who cheats her giveaways!

It is not mandatory, but you can better your chances of winning by doing two things: visiting Keeping Pace on Facebook and/or leaving a comment on this blog post. Like I said, this is not at all mandatory, but it will increase your chances of winning by giving you additional entries.

The Giveaway will run from today through Monday, March 2nd at 12AM, so ENTER NOW! Again, this is NOT mandatory, but please feel free to share this blog post on your social media sites so your friends and other parents will be encouraged to enter. I'm so excited about this giveaway and want to make it available to as many people as possible!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for visiting and entering to win. I hope this is the first of many giveaways on my blog in the future! If you're new to Keeping Pace, learn a little more about me here.

Closet Cleaning

Contrary to popular belief, I haven't always been this fabulous.

No, really. I haven't always known how to dress myself. Don't believe me? Look at some of these old lookers I was able to find of myself through some legit Facebook prowling...

11th grade. That's a $150 Lacoste sweater... worn with sweatpants.

11th grade... I wore that sweatshirt more than is necessary for comment.

The girl on the left is my cousin Audrey Anna. I tried desperately to find a picture of me in my gaucho pants but couldn't. Please ask her about them though. She's likely to explode into a fit of hyena giggles and dig up some old photos. Needless to say, they were pretty atrocious.

     It wasn't until my senior year of high school that I began figuring things out. I used to drape myself in clothes to try and hide what was there. To be honest, I was self-conscious and incredibly insecure, so I dressed "comfortably" to try and combat those feelings of insecurity. Simply put: I looked just plain sloppy. After losing weight during my senior year, I began looking for clothes that fit me and flattered me. I didn't always nail it right on the head, but almost anything was an improvement from the previous years!

In NYC, Spring 2009

Then came college and PRAISE JESUS for pledging a sorority! I definitely had my leggings and sweatshirt days as an Ole Miss girl, but I learned lots of style and beauty secrets in the bathroom of the Phi Mu house!

Senior year of college-August 2011

All of this nostalgia is hitting me after cleaning out my closet for nearly three hours today, which resulted in three huge trash bags full of clothes, a Victoria's Secret shopping bag stuffed with shoes, and a trash bag full of crappy hangers! We are bound for Goodwill as soon as Vaught wakes up from his nap!

We're not friends on Snapchat?!! kcpace12

     I pulled out all of my maternity dresses (some aren't really maternity, just bigger sizes than I would normally wear), as well as some other cute dresses I've been hanging onto for a while, and I had an impromptu fashion show in front of my mirror. I had planned a maternity fashion post back in the summer to highlight some of my favorite maternity wear finds, but I never got around to finishing it. As I slipped into each of these, I think I could relate to the feelings the contestants on The Biggest Loser must have as they step on the scale to see if they've lost any weight. As I pulled dress after dress over my body, I kept waiting to be disappointed... I kept waiting to run into one that was too small or too tight on my hips or chest. It didn't happen. That made for one happy Kate!

     I took photos of most of what I tried on so I could show you all what I'm keeping and what I'm tossing out! You don't have to get rid of all of your "fat clothes." My mom is a secret seamstress and will be making adjustments on some of these for me.

Enjoy the show!
 

Old Navy Maternity--Size XL

I fell in love with this dress shortly after it became available in April. I bought it almost immediately and wore it a lot last summer. It's so breezy and comfy and so cute too! I'll be keeping it and having my mother take it in up top!

 

Target: Exhilaration (Juniors)-- Size XXL

I bought this dress in June of 2013 to wear to a wedding. Although it looks pretty flowy, it's got a fitted layer underneath that I was always self-conscious about, so I only wore it once. But now it's a lot looser and fits perfectly! I'm definitely keeping this and can't wait to wear it soon. The picture quality is kind of poor, but the colors in this dress are beautiful!!

 

Ross--2X

I bought this and wore it to a friend's baby shower in June... and that was it! I loved it SO much but it was tight and pulled when I sat down, so I never wore it after that. I still love it though, and aside from being a little loose in the chest, it fits great now! I'm keeping it! I may or may not need my mom to make some adjustments later on.

 

???--1X

I honestly can't remember where I got this, but I've had it a couple of years and only worn it a few times. I really loved it at first and thought I wanted to keep it, but the more I look at it, the more I honest I become with myself; I will probably never wear this. It's a goner.  

 

Macy's Juniors--Size XL

I wore this to the first home game at Ole Miss in 2013 and never wore it again. It is probably the sluttiest dress I own, and would you believe my mother bought it for me? My boobs literally pop out of it! It's being donated!

 

 

Vera Wang for Kohls--Size L

My mom got this for me, and I really like it, despite feelings like stripes are still not my friend. I'm determined that with a few more pounds gone, and the right pair of shoes and sweater, I can make it work! Keeping it.

 

 

 

Belk Juniors--Size XL

This is yet another find by my mom. I'm not wearing the right bra with it, but I love it! It's so cute, like something a modern-day Laura Ingles would wear! Keeping it (and investing in a good strapless bra)!

 

 

Old Navy Maternity--Size XL

If you spent a considerable amount of time with me while I was pregnant, you're definitely familiar with this one! This was perhaps my very favorite maternity dress!!! It still fits fairly well, but is way too long without my big belly. I'm going to have Bev (my mother) hem it. Keeper!

 

 

Kohls--Size 2X

I'm not sure what I thought this dress did for me... but it didn't. Bye, Felicia.

 

 

THE FAMOUS GREEN DRESS from Ross--1X

Another favorite, right up there with the black dress! It was $12 at Ross, and a few weeks later I found the same dress in pink. They're not as flattering on me now, but I'm still keeping them. If anything, they'll make great beach cover-ups, and I'm thinking on having Bev hem the pink one to be knee-length.

 

Boutique shirt--1X

I also found this gem that I got from a boutique in Olive Branch, but it's literally falling off of me! It's definitely being donated. Hard to believe that I used to wear this all the time!

 

I hope this post was somewhat inspiring but also proof that you don't have to get rid of everything after losing weight or having a baby or both! Keep what you like if it's within reason! And always, always, always have a good seamstress on hand!

Happy Saturday!!!



Not Another Mommy Blog...

An acquaintance recently referred to my blog as a "mommy blog," and my immediate reaction was, "Oh, no, no, no, whoa, stop right there... This is not a mommy blog."

Absolutely NO disrespect to mom blogs, but this is more my style...

 

     When I think of a mommy blog, I think of those really cutesy ones with pictures of their children everywhere, pages upon pages of recipes, kid-friendly crafts, DIY projects, current trends and issues relating to children (the vaccine epidemic, Common Core), etc. Those blogs are great and are so helpful and intriguing at times, but that is not what I'm about, nor is that a direction in which I'd like to go with Keeping Pace.

      I'm a wife and mother first and always will be. These are the two jobs I love the most and, coincidentally, the two jobs I feel that I do better than anything else. Better than blogging. Better than teaching. Better than working out. Better than anything else I could do with my life. At the same time though, I want to keep these roles somewhat private from my blog. Yes, I talk about being a wife and mother quite often, but there are also many things I do not share and never will share for my family's sake. I mean absolutely no offense to mommy blogs, and I know that those mothers protect their families in Blogworld too, but that's just not how I want to use my little corner of the WWW.

     Fitness and health are very important to me right now, and when you visit my blog, that is primarily what I would like for you to see. As a brand influencer though, there will be some posts regarding different aspects of my life, but I'd like to keep these at a minimum. I'm vowing to try at least!

      As in love as I am with being a wife and mother to my two sweet guys, I never want to lose a sense of who I am without those titles. Although their needs and happiness come before my own, I realize that my happiness is important too. This blog is a place where everything can be about me. Does that sound a little selfish? I think it's okay if it does. I'm so encouraged by all of you who are supporting me and cheering me on in my fitness journey. I know you enjoy seeing photos and reading about our little family as well, but I'm going to try to post a little less of that, a little more about this incredible journey.

As always, thank you for reading and for allowing me to be my authentic self. Even on the World Wide Web, I don't feel as if I need to hide, and I think that's incredibly ironic. I love being able to be open and completely honest with you all about my life, my struggles, and my journey. Thank you for being you :)